is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in the Tōnō

Tono

Tono can refer to:Locations*Bay of Tono, in Italy*Tono River, in East Timor*Tōno, Iwate, a city in Japan*Tōnō, a region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan*Tono, Washington, a town in Washington, USA*Pasar Tono, a town in East TimorPeople...

 region of Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The city was founded on April 1, 1952.

History

During Japan's Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, Nakatsugawa was a post town

Shukuba

were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...

, known as Nakatsugawa-juku

Nakatsugawa-juku

was the forty-fifth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, Nakatsugawa-juku reached a population of over 1,230 people and contained over 175 homes. There are many historical artifacts...

, one of the 69 Stations of the Nakasendō

69 Stations of the Nakasendo

The are the rest areas along the Nakasendō, which ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto. The route stretched approximately and was an alternate trade route to the Tōkaidō.-Stations of the Nakasendō:...

 along the Nakasendō

Nakasendo

The , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...

. The travel route ran from the Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi

, or Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603, and the current bridge made of stone dates from 1911...

 in Edo

Edo

, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...

 (modern-day Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

) to Sanjō Ōhashi

Sanjo Ohashi

is a bridge in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It spans the Kamo River as part of Sanjō-dōri . It is well-known because it served as the ending location for both the Nakasendō and the Tōkaidō.-History:...

 in the imperial capital of Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

. It was one of the five major routes used in the Edo period, and one of two that connected Edo and Kyoto.
Nakatsugawa is planned as a stop for the Chūō Shinkansen

Chuo Shinkansen

The is a planned maglev line connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, Japan. The only part of the line that exists is the Yamanashi test track, which is currently being extended from 18.4 km to 42.8 km. The line is proposed to connect Tokyo and Nagoya in the first stage in 40 minutes, and eventually...

 maglev train line.

Mergers

On February 13, 2005 the towns of Tsukechi

Tsukechi, Gifu

was a town located in the former Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Tsukechi, along the towns of Fukuoka and Sakashita, the villages of Hirukawa, Kashimo and Kawaue, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of...

, Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Gifu

was a town located in Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Fukuoka, along the towns of Sakashita and Tsukechi, the villages of Hirukawa, Kashimo and Kawaue, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa...

 and Sakashita

Sakashita, Gifu

was a town located in Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Sakashita, along the towns of Fukuoka and Tsukechi, the villages of Hirukawa, Kashimo and Kawaue, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa...

 and the villages of Hirukawa

Hirukawa, Gifu

was a village located in Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Hirukawa, along the towns of Fukuoka, Sakashita and Tsukechi, the villages of Kashimo and Kawaue, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa...

, Kashimo

Kashimo, Gifu

was a village located in Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Kashimo, along the towns of Fukuoka, Sakashita and Tsukechi, the villages of Hirukawa and Kawaue, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa...

 and Kawaue

Kawaue, Gifu

was a village located in Ena District, Gifu, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Kawaue, along the towns of Fukuoka, Sakashita and Tsukechi, the villages of Hirukawa and Kashimo, all from Ena District, and the village of Yamaguchi, from Kiso District, Nagano, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa...

, all from the former Ena District

Ena District, Gifu

was a district located in Gifu, Japan.On October 25, 2004 five towns and villages in the district merged with the city of Ena. On February 13, 2005 the remaining six towns and villages in the district merged into the city of Nakatsugawa at which point the district ceased to exist.As of 2003, the...

 (which was dissolved by this merger), and the village of Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi, Nagano

was a village located in Kiso District, Nagano, Japan.On February 13, 2005 Yamaguchi, along the towns of Fukuoka, Sakashita and Tsukechi, the villages of Hirukawa, Kashimo and Kawaue, all from Ena District, Gifu, was merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture and no longer...

 from Kiso District

Kiso District, Nagano

is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of November 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 34,759. The total area is 1,546.26 km².Historically, the district was once known as Nishichikuma District until May 1, 1968....

, Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...

, merged into Nakatsugawa.

Following the merger the city had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 86,498 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 128 persons per km². The total area is 676.38 km².

Local Specialties

The Japanese place a high priority on food, particularly during traveling and touring, and most regions in Japan are well known for their particular local delicacies. For the Japanese, sampling these on one's travels is considered one of the highlights of travel within Japan.

Nakatsugawa is known for its abundant chestnut harvest and the chestnut delicacies known as kurikinton (栗きんとん). Kurikinton are produced by first boiling and then mashing the chestnuts, then mixing them with sugar and reforming them into a chestnut shape. They are widely available during the Autumn months. Many families make their own in their own kitchens, while purchased kurikinton are extremely popular as well for home consumption and as gifts.

Railroad

• JR Central (Chūō Main Line
  Chuo Main Line
  The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
  
  ): Sakashita Station, Ochiaigawa Station, Nakatsugawa Station, Mino-Sakamoto Station
• Akechi Railway (Akechi Line): Iinuma Station, Agi Station

External links

• Nakatsugawa official website